Campus Comment: Gap years

The following quotes were given to the Daily by undergraduate students in response to the question, 'How did taking a gap year affect you both personally and academically?'

 

"Academically, taking a gap year kept me from burning out and left me excited for college rather than dreading it. More importantly though, taking a gap year was crucially important to having a better sense of who I am and what I value most in life." - Lanie Preston, Class of 2020

 

“Taking a bridge year improved my confidence immensely. It made me more willing to try new things and take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities I now have here at Tufts. In addition, my experiences made me a better communicator — both in Spanish and English.” - Isabel Schneider, Class of 2020

 

"I was one of the first out of 15 Tufts students to participate in the new 1+4 Bridge-Year program ... It was an amazing experience that helped me grow as a person and experience the world, while also helping people. It was truly the best introduction to real life after high school and made me feel more confident and prepared for college. I gained a worldly perspective I could not have gotten anywhere else through my interactions with people from all around the world — and I now have friends from all around the globe."  - Justin Mejia, Class of 2020

 

"Personally, my gap year gave me a sense of independence and ability that was only achievable through a prolonged period outside of my comfort zone. Academically, quite honestly, it definitely did not help. I've had to relearn how to do school. But the personal value completely outweighed the initial academic setbacks." -Daniel Lewis, Class of 2020

 

"Taking time off from school during my gap year gave me the opportunity to both take a break from school work to feel more mentally prepared for college, but also experience living and working on my own, which made my college transition much more comfortable." - Anna Antoniadis, Class of 2020